Greener On the Other Side
by PyrrhicxVictory
Summary: When things fall apart for Kari, Matt makes her realize that there's always another way to look at things, and that the problems she'd thought as boulders were simply stones. This is NOT a Yakari romance fic, but more on the brother sister relationship!
1. Promises are Meant to be Broken

At long last I've published something again! Yes, I'm doing Digimon, but no, this isn't aYakari, though I like the pairing. This is pretty much a look at the sibling side of love in between the two Digidestined teens. Hope you like, R&R, please!

Disclaimer: I don't Own Digimon or anything here but the fictional school, KK?

Here are the ages of the people here:

Kari – 16

Matt – 21

Tai – 21

Sora – 21

TK - 16

Yes, this is based on something that happened in real life, so I had to make sure that Matt and Kari's ages were similar to the _real_ characters of this story based on a true experience.

**Greener On the Other Side**

CHAPTER 1: Promises Are Meant To Be Broken

(Matt's POV)

Mister and Mrs. Yagami parked their car in front of the Music Center. I went through the glass doors to greet the parents of my best friend. No, we weren't close. But we had to be.

Tai had left for the USA almost a year now. He had to be there. He received a sweet scholarship for playing soccer and winning against one of the country's best exchange-student teams. Tai was so excited, but then again, he was so hesitant to go because of one thing... or better yet, one girl.

Kari, hopped off the car and looked at me with a piercing gaze. I kind of felt some chills. Was _that_ Kari?

Before Tai left, he left me to become Kari's big brother. It was cool with me since Kari and I were close that way, since she and TK were very good friends and most of the time, Kari and Tai were over at my place just to hang out.

Then, it was my turn to lose someone. When TK and Kari finished high school (yes, in my country, 16 year olds finish high school already) TK and Mom left for Singapore, since TK wanted to study there. I didn't actually ask why, but I guess it was along the lines of the technology, since I guess TK was trying to open up the DigiGate again, though I bet it would be a long time before he does.

So it was me and Kari left all by our lonesome.

Kari had been going to Tokyo and back to Odaiba with me for about three weeks now, since she studied in the University of Southern Tokyo (this is made up, okay?) with the course. I was in my final year in my college, Amaterasu Musical Academy (this one's made up, too), and since Kari's school was in Southern Tokyo, we both decided that whenever I'd go home to Odaiba, she could come with me, for safety reasons.

She stepped down from the car and I approached her. She wasn't smiling like she always did, and I wondered why. Kari was always bright, and that's an understatement since she was the bearer of Light.

"Hello again, Matt, thank you for coming with Kari here," Mrs. Yagami greeted me. I nodded in respect as I sat beside Kari in the car. Mr. Yagami began talking, but he didn't turn to me.

"So, Yamato, how are you these days? Kari mentioned that you were a bit under the weather lately." He told me.

"I'm fine now, Mr. Yagami, thanks for asking," I said, wondering if I should've called him _oji-san_, since I call all my friends' parents like my aunts and uncles. Maybe it was because the older Yagamis and I haven't met personally. I wonder why, but I guess it's because if ever I'd think about introducing myself to them, I get the impression that they'd think i was courting Kari, which I was not.

I looked at Kari, who refused to look at me. Her eyes were fixed on something on the car floor, though I was pretty sure it wasn't the car mat she was looking at. Kari was thinking, I could guess that it wasn't such a pleasant train of thoughts.

"Alright, you two keep safe now," Mrs. Yagami bid us as Kari and I left the car to look for a bus that was bound for Southern Tokyo station. Kari wasn't talking yet, but I decided to wait until we were in the bus, since I was a bit worried what the Yagamis would think if I bumped Kari while we were walking along the bus terminal.

Finall, Kari and I were on the bus. The two seater part of the bus was a bit close, but I didn't mind. I don't think of anything malicious when Kari sleeps on my shoulder since that was a given. The bus was not the best place to sleep in, after all.

I looked at Kari again. She wasn't talking to me still. I wondered if I did something wrong, or if something was bothering her _again._

So, I bumped her.

Kari looked at me instantly.

"Yes?" She asked, though her real self hadn't returned.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. Kari looked down and I felt a rush of girl emotions. Lately, Kari had been doing a lot of crying, and over the simplest things.

"I'm sorry, _Nii-chan_ ("yes, in the absence of Tai, I was her brother"), I broke my promise to you," She said and tears from her big eyes fell. I was about to tell her that I didn't mind whatever promise that was, and she shouldn't cry about it, that it was okay with me. Then, she showed me two bloody cuts on her right arm. I caught my tongue in mid air.

That was _not_ okay.


	2. I Can See Through Your Mask

CHAPTER 2: I can See Through Your Mask

(Matt's POV)

"_Again_!? Why have you done this?" I asked Kari, my voice almost nearing the shout I never wanted to repeat. Kari looked down, and I waited for her to answer.

"I'm sick and tired of this, _Nii-chan_." Kari told me as she started to cry. I began thinking of things on what could've triggered her self-harm again. But the real thought in my mind was how could she have betrayed her promise to me. I believed in her.

There was a time, right after Tai had left, Kari became somehow so much sensitive in a bad way with her parents. They kept on fighting over the silliest things, even though they're the only ones left, since Tai had left. I wondered at that time if Tai was the glue that held the home together.

Usually, it was me that Kari and her mom fought about. She told me about those fights, where here mom would tell her that no matter how close Tai and I were, no matter how close _we_ were, I was still a man, and men were somehow looking at women as potential addition to their girlfriends. I couldn't quite give a say in that. In my high school days, I had my own fair share of girlfriends myself...

"What happened?" I asked Kari as she started crying. I thought about the next right thing to say that won't damage the picture even more.

"We fought again. I can't believe it. Every time I go home, we fight." Kari said. She didn't sound like the Kari I knew back then. I felt like I was with a new person.

I knew Kari wasn't perfect. For the first four weeks of her stay in Tokyo, she'd been bugging me since she couldn't call Tai. Sometimes, she called Sora.

Sora and Kari were like the best of sisters. There were always with each other when we got together and Kari talked to he more often than other women.

A few years ago, I considered falling in love with Sora, but then again, I've fallen in love so many times that I got tired already and I decided not to entertain the feelings if they won't last. Eventually, the feelings went away and I've come to accept that there would be a right time for me to get a girlfriend that would last through marriage.

Well, back to Kari, as I said, she wasn't the same. She'd been showing more and more weaknesses than ever since Tai left. I wondered if Kari was always like this; since Tai was gone, and I was her _Nii-chan_ I guess Tai must've seen this part of her already.

"I can't believe it. Whenever I try to do something right, it goes wrong." Kari said, and I felt as if it was a repeat of her tantrums. I felt a bit frustrated, since the dawn of her cutting came through me: Kari broke her promise.

I began to feel a bit uneasy with her. Was she always this frail? I didn't think she'd degrade, but here she was, crying. Suddenly, my urge as a brother came over.

"It's alright, just let it out," I told her, but after a few moments, I took it back. "Stop crying. The problem is not worth it. I don't even think it's a problem anyway."

Kari looked at me and her eyes pierced my own, as if asking me to go on.

"Look, once, I lost two million yen. Obviously I got in trouble, but I didn't slit my wrists." I told her, hoping she would come to her senses that she wasn't as unfortunate as she thought. "Your life isn't as melodramatic as you tell it to be. C'mon, Kari. I know you."

'_You're stronger than this_,' I thought inwardly, though I didn't say it.

"But we're not the same," Kari told me. I felt insulted. I looked back on my own life and I saw all the pain me and TK had to go through. And there Kari was, crying over a small fight with her mom. Lucky her, she had a mom to fight with. Where was mine? I decided not to let it out like that, since I know that Kari would have probably cried more. I didn't know why she turned out like that, but she did. The Digidestined of Light was being a piece of Darkness.

"Kari, I've been through so much more that you have. You're right; we're not the same. You don't know me too much yet, Kari." I told her bitterly. Kari was quiet for some time. I guess she was contemplating on what I said and I hoped that she understood what I've been saying.

A few moments of silence, and Kari spoke.

"When will you introduce yourself to me, then?" She asked. I gave her a weird look, sending the message that I didn't get her, though I knew perfectly well what she meant. I guess I just didn't want to tell her.

"Why?" I asked. Kari seemed to have given up so easily and looked away. What made me even more frustrated was when Kari flashed me her fake smile, telling me that she'd understand me. Telling me that she'd matured in two minutes. I knew she was faking. I knew it. Kari was not alright. She needed help, but at that time, I didn't have any kind of help to give. Besides, I was still a bit mad with her for not keeper her vow.

Throughout the trip, Kari and I didn't speak. She was as if, mute, and I as if I didn't know her. It was humiliating and silly, and I felt that I didn't want to be with her for a while since my fuse was about to break and I didn't want her crying again.

Kari was smiling her hypocritical smile.

I couldn't believe she had such.

***

Well that's my first two chapters on this Digimon thing. So tell me what you think!

Rants are welcome, ^_^


	3. Far Cry

CHAPTER 3: Far Cry

(Kari's POV)

I looked down. I knew it was so fake that I had to act like that. Truly, I was really lost. I didn't know what Matt thought of me that time. It was as if he was hiding something.

And he was.

I can't believe him when he said that I didn't know him. That was a stab. I mean, he's been around for half of my life and he's practically my brother right now!

Since Tai left, it was really hard. Usually, I had him to please, I had him to be strong for. But when he left, I lost a bit of reason. I thought it was a phase, but I haven't gotten through it yet. Then, there was Matt.

Back then, in our DigiWorld days, Matt and I barely talked. It was me and TK who were the best of friends, and it was Matt and Tai. I didn't know why, but I guess it was some kind of new symmetry that Matt and I had to lose our siblings to another country. It was like Tai and TK didn't leave us hanging. Was it possible that they knew?

Anyway, right then and there, I was awestruck and I didn't get to think clearly. Matt became silent and I saw he was asleep. I decided not to wake him, since I knew he was sick. Just two days ago, Matt asked me to accompany him home since he lost consciousness in his dormitory.

In a little more time, I got a shot at Matt awake.

"_Nii-chan_, are you mad at me?" I asked him. He looked at me.

"No." He said and we continued the journey in silence.

I got to contemplate more.

**Flashback**

_"Don't you ever do that again!" Matt told me through the phone after I cried out to him when me and Mom got into a fight. Since Tai left, it was always like that. "Kari, there's so much better things for you that you don't have to cut yourself!"_

_"I can't help it! I feel as if it's my fault whenever my parents and I fight! It's so wrong that I feel as if I need to punish myself!" I cried to Matt. I felt a sigh on the other line of the phone._

_That night, Mom and I had an argument about Matt. I tried to get it through her head that we were just going to Matt's house with Izzy, Joe and Yolei, but to my surprise, Mom didn't trust Matt as much as before anymore._

_"Mom said you were a bad person! I don't want to believe that! She doesn't understand how much you've been helping me since Tai left! I can't take it that they talk about you so badly." I whimpered. Matt sighed again._

_"It's okay, you're my little sister now, Kari, and nothing can change that. I'll stay your brother, no matter what. But you have to promise me you'd never do that again. You make me worry, _Imouto_, please, never do that again! You're still young, Kari..." Matt scolded from the other side. Though it was a scolding, I felt the love and care of a brother, one that I missed since Tai left._

_"Yes, yes! I promise you, _Aniki_!" I told him. "I promise you I'd never try anything suicidal again! It's a promise I'll make to you."_

**End of Flashback**

I flinched and I felt myself cry. I broke a promise.

I felt a weight on my chest that I found it hard to breath, that I felt I needed to vomit. Then, Matt spoke again.

"Kari, I'm off the next stop, as you said." Matt said. I nodded.

"We're still siblings, right?" I asked. Matt smiled. I cringed. I didn't know the meanings of smiles anymore.

"Of course," He said. "Don't you want it?"

I looked down.

"Of course I do," I said.

_'The question is, do you?'_


End file.
